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Polygyny is associated with an increased sharing of subsistence provided by women. This is consistent with the theory that if women raise the children alone, men can concentrate on the mating effort. Polygyny is also associated with greater environmental variability in the form of variability of rainfall. This may increase the differences in ...
Polyandry (/ ˈ p ɒ l i ˌ æ n d r i, ˌ p ɒ l i ˈ æ n-/; from Ancient Greek πολύ (polú) 'many' and ἀνήρ (anḗr) 'man') is a form of polygamy in which a woman takes two or more husbands at the same time. Polyandry is contrasted with polygyny, involving one male and two or more females.
In cultures which practice polygamy, its prevalence among that population often correlates with social class and socioeconomic status. [7] Polygamy (taking the form of polygyny) is most common in a region known as the "polygamy belt" in West Africa and Central Africa, with the countries estimated to have the highest polygamy prevalence in the ...
Polyandry in India refers to the practice of polyandry, whereby a woman has two or more husbands at the same time, either historically on the Indian subcontinent or currently in the country of India. An early example can be found in the Hindu epic Mahabharata , in which Draupadi , daughter of the king of Panchala , is married to five brothers.
Polygamy among Hindus is sometimes accepted in some rural areas, [10] often with approval by earlier wives. The 2005–06 National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3) found that 2 percent of women reported that their husband had other wives besides herself. Husbands of women with no children are more likely to have multiple wives.
Polygamy in Africa has existed throughout the history of Africa. [1] Polygamy, particularly polygyny, is a highly valued social institution in Africa. [1] Polygamy is a marriage between a man or woman and their multiple spouses. [2] Polygyny is a marriage between a man and multiple wives. [2] Polyandry is a marriage between a woman and multiple ...
Period drama and historical novels frequently refer to the former culture of polygamy (usually polygyny). An example is the Wuxia novel The Deer and the Cauldron by Hong Kong writer Louis Cha, in which the protagonist Wei Xiaobao has seven wives (In a later edition of the novel, Princess Jianning was assigned as the wife, while others are ...
In social systems with promiscuous breeding like multi-male groups, polygamy causes possible ambiguity in parentage. [12] Since kin discrimination between fathers and infants could be more difficult, it has been theorized in the past that the incidence of male care of infants in polygamous primate groups may be less in multi-male groups than in ...